Waiting by Ha Jin

Lin Kong is a dedicated army doctor employed in a military hospital in the city of Muji. It is there that he meets and falls for Mannu Wu, a student nurse. Manna, full of energy and life, is a thoroughly modern woman, and Lin wants nothing more than to spend his life with her. Lin, however, already has a wife and daughter back home in Goose Village. But Lin did not marry for love, but for filial duty. His arranged marriage has always been a  disappointment to him, and he is ashamed of his wife's simple-minded ways and bound feet.

Every year Lin returns to Goose Village to ask Shuyu for a divorce. And every year she agrees, only to back out at the very last minute. Constrained by the regulations of Mao's Cultural Revolution, Manna and Lin are unable to consummate their relationship. They are not allowed to kiss. They are not even allowed to be alone together outside the hospital boundary. So Manna and Lin are left waiting. Waiting for seventeen years until Lin is awarded a divorce....

Waiting is another of those novels that has left me wondering.

It is very simply written, and its plot is minimalist. And to be honest, I was expecting something far more complex and passionate. So initially I was disappointed. The pace, at times, was slow moving and there were occasions when I really questioned why I was reading it. However, I persevered, and I am glad that I did.

It is the development of the characters that enrich this story. Not the plot. Nor the ending. It is the way that each of them grow and change, intertwining in this story of relationship during a period of significant political and cultural change. Whilst Manna Wu represents the modern 'New China' in Muji, the character of Shuyu embodies the 'Old China' in Goose Village.  It is Lin that is the bridge between the two, at times enjoying the sophistication and energy of the modern world whilst craving the peace of mind and simplicity of the old.

Lin Kong is a contradiction himself. This new, modern man is repelled by the ways of the old world, its fashion for bound feet and folk remedies. But he also desires its traditions and its simplicity, he needs its folk remedies despite being a modern, medical man. Alternatively, he admires the educated women of New China, their freedom of speech, their energy and passion, yet is left disappointed with the restlessness, the upheaval, the secrets.

It is the development of Shuyu that most interests me. Initially described as unattractive, skinny, and old before her time, it is apparent that she is not considered 'good enough' for her husband Lin. No wonder that Lin will not share a bed with her. She is simple-minded, uneducated, almost ignorant. However, Shuyu is a loyal and faithful wife, a good mother and cook, she embodies all that is homely and safe. And slowly throughout the book she transforms into a character who is not considered so ugly, nor so old looking. As Lin and Manna Wu deteriorate with age, Shuyu appears younger, healthier, happier. She is a sympathetic character, embracing modern China whilst maintaining the traditions of the old.

Whilst political and cultural change are integral to the plot, it is not a political text. Ha Jin portrays its influence without forcing it, and in doing so keeps the story simple and honest. It is this simplicity that, for me, gives it its charm.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars